Base-ball apparatus.



R. A. LHOMME. BASE BALL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 8,1914.

Patented M11220, 1915.

v..-. NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOmLITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. A. LHOMME.

BASE BALL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED :uma 8. 1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915. A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wibmwwo 'IHE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHDTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. C.

RAPHAEL A. LHOMIVIE, 0F WQRGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BASE-BALL APPARATUS.

Application filed June 8, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAPHAEL A. LHoMMn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Base-Ball Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a base-ball game apparatus designed to reproduce as closely as possible the various plays made in an actual game, and requiring acertain amount of skill in batting the ball. The rules of the game are the same as those of the major league and the board represents a base-ball field with the home plate beneath the bat.

The invention consists essentially in the construction of the ground, the means by which the ball is delivered to the bat, the particular arrangement and construction of the batting member, and the means employed for actuating such member, said actuating means being entirely under control of the player, and therefore not including any spring actuated devices.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View of the apparatus including the field. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a block upon which the pitchers mound, the home plate and the batting device is mounted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through said block taken upon the line of the home plate. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a side portion of a board illustrating certain mechanical features of construction. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a striking rod em ployed in actuating the batting member.

In these drawings 1 represents a box like structure, upon the bottom of which the field is laid ofl, and at the forward end of said structure and extending into the diamond 2 is a block 3, the diamond being projected upon said block, and the inner end of the block representing the pitchers box 4:. From this box the block 3 slopes to the front as shown in Fig. 2, and has also a slight downward inclination from the sides toward the center as shown in Fig. 3. Mounted upon the forward portion of the block are two bearing plates 5 in which is pivoted a shaft 6, said shaft is provided with a T-arm 7 and said arm also carries upon its under side a downwardly extending lug 8. The block is transversely grooved as shown at 9 to receive the head 10 of the arm 7, and is longitudianlly grooved as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Serial No. 843,804.

shown at 11 to receive the lug 8. A suitable bore 12 extends through the front end wall of the box 1, through the block 3 and communicates with the front end of the groove 11. The transverse bore 13 also communicates with the groove 9, the bottom of which is slightly inclined, so that if a player misses a ball and it rolls into the groove 9 the ball will be discharged through the bore 13, thereby saving the time and trouble of extricating the ball from said groove. To actuate the batter a suitable rod 14 is adapted to pass through the bore 12 provided with a handle 15. A ball 16 when placed at the pitchers box l will roll down the block, and if the rod 14 is given a quick inward movement and said movement is properly timed the rod striking the lug 8 will rock the shaft 6, thereby throwing upwardly the arm 7 and the head 10 will strike the ball as it attempts to cross the groove 9, and will project the same to some part of the field.

It will be noted that around the various points upon the field are laid off circles 16 and a plurality of concentric lines 17 and the spaces inclosed by said circles and lines may be marked in any suitable way, and preferably such marking will be by coloring the field. Small figures or blocks of any desired kind may be employed to represent base runners, and if the party actuating the bat projects the ball onto that portion of the field designated by A he places said object on the first base designated at 18. Should the ball be projected to that portion of the field marked B the object representing the base runner is placed upon second base 19. Should the ball come to a rest upon the portion C of the field the base runner is placed upon third base at 20. Should the ball land upon the part marked D a home run is made. Markers 21 and 22 are employed by means of which the score may be kept. Should a ball come to rest inside of the first line which encircles the positions occupied by the various players it will designate a catch. The second circle E represents the ground in which the player fields the ball and gets the runner at the base, making an assist. Any one familiar with the rules of the major league will readily understand the method of playing and scoring the game.

It will be understood that it is the position on the board upon which the ball comes to rest, and not the board which it first strikes, that counts. On any smooth board of convenient size a ball would invariably roll to such an extent as to offset any skill which might be exercised by the person handling the bat rod. To counteract this I cover the entire board, with of course the exception of the block 3 with a suitable net work 23, the marginal portion of said net work being secured to the sides of the box by means of a suitable interior strip 2i, the margins of the fabric fittin between said strip and the boX sides. The field which ,is laid out upon the board is clearly visible through said net work, and the said net Work'tends to retard rolling the ball and causing it to stop adjacent the point Where struckand having very much the retarding effect of a close cropped lawn.

That I claim is 1. The combination with a game board representative of a base ball field, of a net: ting secured on the surface of said board, said netting being adapted to form a retard ingcsurface, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A base-ball game apparatus comprising a board having the representative of a field thereupon, a block secured upon said board, a batting member upon said block, and means for moving said member vertically, the said block being inclined from a point representing the pitchers box to a line representing the home plate, said bat- ]tjng member being positioned adjacent said 3. A baseball game, a board having the Qop ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

representation of a ball field, a block upon the front end portion of said board, the said block being inclined from rear to front, and being transversely and longitudinally grooved, a T-shaped batting member pivotally mounted upon the block having its head normally resting in, the transverse groove and having a depending lug normally resting in the longitudinal groove, and means adapted to enter the last mentioned groove and engage said lug, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a game board, of a block secured adjacent one end of the board, the upper surface of said block inclining downwardly toward the end of the board, and being transversely and longitudinally grooved, the said block having bores registering respectively With said grooves, one of said bores opening at the end of the board, a shaft pivotally mounted upon said block, a T-shaped arm carried by said shaft, the head of the arm resting normally in the transverse groove, a lug carried by said arm extending into the longitudinal groove, means adapted to pass through the bore at the end of the board into said longitudinal groove. to strike said lug, the other bore being adapted to discharge a ball from said transverse groove.

RAPHAEL A. LHOMME.

Washington, D. C. 

